National Journalism Center

Founded by conservative journalist M. Stanton Evans in 1977, the National Journalism Center (NJC) is now a program of Young America's Foundation, and has successfully trained more than 1700 journalists since its conception. NJC places interns primarily in Washington, DC in both mainstream media outlets and smaller niche-oriented publications.

Contents

History

NJC offers scholarships to budding young journalists so that they can attend its 12-week training sessions, where they receive training in the technical skills of journalism, combined with current event discussions, which help their understanding of such topics as education, environmental regulation, taxes, and media law. Interns participate in full-time internships and attend training seminars one day per week.

According to a guide to right-wing groups on universities, the NJC is accused of being "is a product of the American Conservative Union." [1] Currently, there are no ties between the American Conservative Union and The National Journalism Center, and the National Journalism Center works with all media outlets to train journalists in responsible, accurate reporting.

Funding

In the four financial years from 1998 to 2001, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation contributed a total of $160,000 - $40,000 each year - to the general operations of the center. (They also contributed a further $105,000 over the 1986-1988 period).[2]

In 2001, the Education and Research Institute, the former parent organization for NJC, received $40,000 from the John M. Olin Foundation for the NJC. [3]

According to the conservative Capital Research Center, the Education & Research Institute 1999 return - the last it accessed - revealed that ERI ran at a $97,000 loss that year with revenue of $403,058 and expenditure $500,031. It also revealed that in 1994, 1997 and 1998, Exxon Mobil contributed $6,000 each year with a further $6,000 from Exxon Educational Foundation in 1998. In 1994 and 1995 Philip’s Petroleum contributed $5,000 and $1,000 respectively. [4]

Currently, the National Journalism Center receives no federal funding and receives grants from private foundations and individual supporters.

Personnel

The National Journalism Center was under the direction of M. Stanton Evans from 1977 until it became a project of Young America's Foundation in 2001/2002. After Stan Evans retired from the program, Kenneth E. Grubbs, Jr. led the program, but was released in 2004, following a freelance piece criticizing the media. [5]. The National Journalism Center is currently under the guidance of Alex X. Mooney, who has led the program since 2005. NJC also employs a full-time academic director to oversee the training seminars and overall academic component of the internship program.

NJC alumni

Since its formation in 1977, the NJC estimate that of the 1700 people who have attended their 12-week long training sessions, about two-thirds have gone on to media and media-related positions. The length of time in the journalism industry varies among the alumni, but a number have carved our careers as media commentators, in conservative think tanks, trade associations, or PR companies. [6]

A selection of NJC alumni, with the date of their course in brackets, who have worked and succeeded in the journalism industry. Many have become published authors in addition to their roles as journalists.

According to Ann Coulter: "NJC teaches writers to locate primary sources, run down facts, and get quotes. Partisan bile you have to develop on your own." ­Michael Fumento also comments on the work of the NJC: "No institution has worked harder or been more effective than the National Journalism Center in preventing 'responsible journalism' from becoming a true oxymoron." [7]

Case studies

The National Journalism Center and Philip Morris In the early 1990s, Philip Morris worked with NJC alumni to accurately report about the tobacco industry and proposed health care reforms. The National Journalism Center, under the direction of M. Stanton Evans, hosted forums on public policy issues to raise awareness and promote education of the issues.